geophytic
|ge-o-phy-tic|
/ˌdʒiːəˈfɪtɪk/
relating to underground-storing plants
Etymology
'geophytic' originates from modern botanical formation via New Latin/Greek, specifically from Greek elements 'gē' meaning 'earth' and 'phyton' meaning 'plant'.
'geophytic' was formed from Greek 'geophytos' (γῆ + φυτόν) through New Latin and modern botanical usage in the 19th century, and entered English as the adjective describing plants with underground storage organs.
Initially used in specialist botanical contexts to denote 'pertaining to geophytes (earth-plants)', and it has retained that technical meaning in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or characteristic of geophytes — plants that survive adverse seasons by means of underground storage organs (bulbs, tubers, corms, rhizomes).
Many alpine species are geophytic, surviving harsh winters with underground bulbs or rhizomes.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/11 02:17